Another record number of warrants for secret spy court

Legal News Center

The nation's spy court approved a record number of requests to search or eavesdrop on suspected terrorists and spies last year, the Justice Department said Wednesday.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approved 2,370 warrants last year targeting people in the United States believed to be linked to international terror organizations.

That figure represents a 9 percent increase over 2006. The number of warrants has more than doubled since the terrorist attacks of 2001.

The secret intelligence court was established in 1978 to oversee government requests to conduct surveillance on suspected spies inside the U.S.

The court denied three warrant applications in full and partially denied one, the Justice Department said. Eighty-six times judges sent requests back to the government for changes before approving them.

Those oversight numbers also represent an increase over last year, when the court partially denied only one application and required changes to 73 applications.

Because the workings of the court are secret, however, it's impossible to know whether that increase was due to more court oversight, more aggressive government efforts or simply the nuances of individual cases.

Related listings

  • Supreme Court affirms drug-arrest case

    Supreme Court affirms drug-arrest case

    Legal News Center 04/24/2008

    The Supreme Court affirmed Wednesday that police have the power to conduct searches and seize evidence, even when done during an arrest that turns out to have violated state law.The unanimous decision came in a case from Portsmouth, Va., where city d...

  • High court rejects Wahkiakum drug testing policy

    High court rejects Wahkiakum drug testing policy

    Legal News Center 03/13/2008

    [##_1L|1150015902.jpg|width="131" height="91" alt=""|_##]The state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that random drug testing of student athletes is unconstitutional, finding that each has "a genuine and fundamental privacy interest in controlling his or ...

  • Santeria priest's case will go to U.S. court today

    Santeria priest's case will go to U.S. court today

    Legal News Center 03/10/2008

    A federal judge will hear arguments today about whether Euless' ban on cruelty to animals infringes upon religious freedom. Jose Merced, a priest in the Santeria religion, has sued Euless, saying the city is infringing on his religious liberties by f...

Is Now the Time to Really Call a Special Education Lawyer?

IDEA, FAPE, CHILD FIND and IEPs: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees all children with disabilities to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). FAPE starts with a school’s responsibility to identify that a child has a disability (Child Find) and create an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to suit the needs of the child.

Forte Law Group is one of only a very few law firms within the state of Connecticut that is dedicated to exclusively representing families and children with special needs.

Parents need to be persistent, dedicated and above all else aware of the many services and accommodations that their child is entitled to under the law. As early as this point within your child’s special education, many parents will often find themselves in the situation asking, “is now the time to really call a special education lawyer?” Here are a few things to consider when asking yourself that question.

Business News

St Peters, MO Professional License Attorney Attorney John Lynch has been the go-to choice for many professionals facing administrative sanction. >> read